Clash
"Clash" is the twentieth episode of . It originally aired on June 11, 2005. Captain Marvel joins the Justice League, and his naivete causes friction with the senior members, especially Superman. Plot When Superman is occupied by a plummeting airliner, the Justice League's newest recruit answers Batman's call for backup. After quickly halting the Parasite's rampage through Metropolis, Captain Marvel is introduced to his idol Superman, though the Man of Steel isn't quite sure what to make of him. Circled by a swarm of reporters, including Lois Lane, Marvel makes an off-hand comment about Lex Luthor's rumored presidential bid. The new Justice Leaguer flies away to his hometown of Fawcett City and speaks his magic word ("SHAZAM") which transforms him into his true self — a normal 10-year-old boy named Billy Batson. The next day aboard the Watchtower, Captain Marvel is awed by the collection of heroes who see him as "one of the guys." But Superman angrily brings Marvel before the League council (the seven original members) and tears into him; Marvel's remark about Lex Luthor has been inflated by the media into a full-fledged political endorsement by a major super-hero. Superman lectures the young hero about how complicated the world is, and that someone like Lex Luthor shouldn't be taken at face value. Marvel argues his belief that people like Luthor can indeed change for the better. A little later, Batman and Superman debate the pros and cons of Captain Marvel while casually mopping the floor with a group of super-villains. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor himself has invited Superman to participate in the celebration of "Lexor City," Luthor's newest legitimate project, which promises modern housing for low-income families in a safe and friendly community. Though distrustful of Luthor's motives and still irritated by his encounter with Marvel, Superman grudgingly agrees to make an appearance. At the ceremony, a suspicious Superman scans underneath Lexor City with his X-ray vision and finds what he believes to be a potentially dangerous device. Luthor claims innocence, and explains that the device in question is simply a new power generator for the complex: with Kryptonite as its cheap energy source. Billy Batson is also present, and he becomes Captain Marvel in a noble attempt to calm Superman, who is now openly accusing Lex of planning a criminal act. In a rare public display of anger, Superman lashes out at Marvel and begins to tunnel his way towards Luthor's machine. Marvel answers Superman's challenge, and a tremendous battle begins between arguably the two most powerful beings on Earth. Much of Lexor City is damaged or destroyed as Superman and Captain Marvel trade thunderous, earth-shattering punches. Superman seems to have a slight advantage, perhaps due to experience and anger, when Marvel grabs him in a bearhug and calls down a lightning bolt with his magic word. After two painful strikes, Superman dodges a third, and Marvel is replaced by the harmless Billy Batson. But the Atom later confirms Luthor's innocence: the machine was no more than a power generator. Superman is publicly humiliated, and offers a quick apology to Luthor. Lex not only accepts Superman's apology, but the reformed villain vows to completely rebuild Lexor City with his own money. Marvel is disgusted by Superman's actions and calls a meeting with the League council to announce his resignation. The young hero claims that the League no longer acts like true heroes. As Marvel leaves, Superman expresses his regret to his teammates and agrees with Marvel, fearing that the Justice League has lost its way. Batman, while not stating his opinion in that regard, tells Clark that "they" set him up. Back in Metropolis, Lex Luthor explains to an unknown companion that the "plan" went better than expected: the entire purpose of the Kryptonite power source was to arouse Superman's suspicion and cause an incident that would tarnish the League's reputation. The destruction of Lexor City not only embarrassed Superman and the league, but it boosted Lex's public image as well. Lex pops open a bottle of wine and shares a drink with his mystery collaborator: Amanda Waller. Continuity * Captain Marvel alludes to Lex Luthor's criminal past, which refers to and every episode he was in, up until his alleged reformation in "A Better World." * Superman comments to Marvel that "we don't sell deodorants on television" when speaking about the League's role as symbols of justice. At this remark, the Flash looks away with some embarrassment; the speedster himself once learned a very similar lesson in the episode, "Eclipsed". * Mercy Graves was last seen in "Tabula Rasa," as acting head of LexCorp and fighting (successfully, it seemed) against her reflexive loyalty to Luthor. Now she is back taking his orders. Background Information Production Notes * This is Captain Marvel's only appearance in . The creators had tried to work him in for several years but the character had been previously unavailable. Production Inconsistencies * After the Parasite absorbs Metamorpho's powers and drops him, his right leg is missing a white stripe. * When Billy observes the children going to the playground, there's a portion of foliage from the bush in the foreground that disappears in the shot. * Lois' eye color changes from purple to black throughout the episode. * During Lex's interview by Phil O'Bannon, his handkerchief disappears from his suit's pocket. * The second time Captain Marvel hits Superman with the "SHAZAM!" bolt, footage is reused from the first one for a particular angle. Because of this, Superman's emblem can be seen for a second before the bolt hits when it's already been burned off. Trivia * This episode was nominated for a Annie Award for Best Directing in an Animated Television Production.http://annieawards.org/33rdwinners.html * This is one of many episodes intertwined with the Cadmus story arc; it is the final confirmation of Lex's sinister intentions following his supposed reformation at the conclusion of "A Better World." * Billy Batson goes to "C.C. Binder Elementary School," named for Captain Marvel creator C.C. Beck and longtime collaborator Otto Binder. * DC Comics fans will note several subtle and not-so-subtle tributes to the classic clashes of Superman and Marvel in comics form; most notably the acclaimed mini-series Kingdom Come. In both accounts, Captain Marvel uses his lightning to attack Superman, Superman swaps places with him and then gags Billy. * Additionally, Luthor's actions in rebuilding Lexor City to garner favor and support for a possible presidential run are similar to his actions at the end of the No Man's Land storyline in the Batman comics, where he offered to rebuild Gotham City and received much public support as a result. * One of the buildings destroyed during the Superman/Captain Marvel fight is the Lena Luthor hospital. In the comics Lena is Lex's mother, or sister, or even daughter, depending on the version. * It's not a shocking revelation, but Superman seems very aware of how people generally perceive him: "I thought I was the boy scout." Yet he and Batman agree that Marvel's 'sunny' demeanor makes Superman seem positively grim by comparison (and in truth Superman is abnormally grumpy and irritable in this episode.) * Billy Batson is voiced by Shane Haboucha, who voiced the young Superman in "Kid Stuff." * "Lexor City" is a small tribute to the planet Lexor from comic book stories of the 1970s and 1980s. Lex Luthor became a heroic figure to the people of a distant planet, so much so that the planet was re-named in his honor. Luthor would soon retire from crime to benevolently guide the worshipful populace of Lexor to prosperity. However, Lexor (much like Krypton) was destroyed; an event which Luthor would unfairly blame on Superman, re-igniting their ongoing rivalry. * This is the only non-premiere or finale episode of the DC Animated Universe that features electrified knuckle dusters. * In the DC Showcase Short, "Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam", George Newbern and Jerry O'Connell reprise their roles as Superman and Captain Marvel, respectively. Cast Uncredited Appearances *Black Canary *Captain Atom *Fire *Flash *Green Arrow *Green Lantern *Hawkgirl *Ice *Metamorpho *Sand *Shining Knight *Stargirl *Vigilante *Wildcat *Wonder Woman *Black Mass *Crowbar *Fastball *Parasite *Shatterfist *Amanda Waller *Ron Troupe Quotes Footnotes Category:Justice League Unlimited episodes